Ban on campus ballots inspiresstudents to talk about voting

Canadian students are seething they can’t vote on campus, but determined to cast their ballots to help pick the next prime minister.

David Molenhuis, national chairman for the Canadian Federation of Students, said youth voters are fighting to have Elections Canada reverse its decision to halt special ballot polls on campuses across the country. Student groups and unions are urging members to write, call or email the body that oversees federal elections to demand on-campus voting.

But while the decision may deter some students from voting, it is rallying even more to get organized and active.

“Students are getting together, getting engaged in the process to cast their ballots,” Molenhuis told iPolitics.

Returning officers across Canada were instructed Friday not to hold special ballots on campuses that were not pre-authorized by Elections Canada. The edict came after a controversy engulfed a special ballot at the University of Guelph, where 241 votes were in question after the Conservative Party challenged the validity of the process.

Elections Canada acknowledged it was organized by a “well-intentioned” officer and had not been pre-authorized, but because oversight mechanisms were in place, the votes were declared valid.

“Vote mobs” involving students have been popping up across the country, bringing patriotic and positive messages about Canada and the election. The events, which feature spontaneous songs or other performances in unison, are part of a movement that began a couple of weeks ago in Guelph.

Ajay Masala Puri, a student at the University of British Columbia, called Elections Canada’s decision “absurd.”

“I think we should want to give access to all the groups who want access,” he said. “There are special ballots at seniors’ homes. This is the right thing to do to show respect for our elders, but we should also show respect for our future generations.”